[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H514-H515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING BROTHER FRED WOLFE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Carl) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of a dear friend of 
mine, Brother Fred Wolfe.
  Fred Hartwell Wolfe was born December 5, 1936, in Rock Hill, South 
Carolina, and he passed away on January 3, 2021. I was standing on this 
very floor being sworn in the moment they let me know he had passed 
away.

[[Page H515]]

  To so many people in this country, Fred Wolfe was a friend. He was a 
spiritual leader. He was a life coach. He was a father figure. He was a 
big brother. That is why we all simply called him Brother Fred.

                              {time}  1015

  Brother Fred had a God-given ability to make everyone feel special, 
and he truly believed that everyone was special. Every waking moment in 
Brother Fred's life, he understood that God was not only watching him, 
but God knew exactly what His next step would be in Fred's life.
  Brother Fred, on numerous occasions, would tell me that everything in 
our life is controlled by God, and everything was put here to serve 
God.
  Later in life, Brother Fred's health started breaking down, but he 
never took his eyes off of God. I remember when he had open-heart 
surgery and the men from the church would stay with him to take care of 
his needs. One night when I was there with Brother Fred, I asked him 
how his open-heart surgery had played a role in God's master plan.
  He told me, I don't know. He said, It is part of the plan, but I 
don't know. I am here to serve. I thought that was a pretty strange 
response seeing he just had his chest cracked open and everything moved 
around. But he knew he would wait. He told me, We may never know; then 
again, we may.
  Just a few minutes later, a nurse came walking in to take his vital 
signs--of course, as they do in the hospitals and keep you awake all 
night--while doing so, he smiled at Brother Fred and said, You don't 
remember me, but a few years ago, I got saved under your ministry.
  Unfortunately, I have slipped away from God, and I am paying the 
price in my family today.
  With all the tubes, with all the monitors, with everything going off 
in that room, Brother Fred stopped what he was thinking and doing and 
prayed with that man. He left with much higher spirits than he actually 
entered with.
  As we sat there quietly, I was thinking, Did God use Fred Wolfe in 
this position because of this man? I looked up and made eye contact 
with Fred, who was laying in the bed, he simply winked and rolled over 
and went to sleep like he knew that was the answer.
  For thousands of people who were saved under his ministry, raised 
their family with his wisdom, and learned that God is the most 
important thing in their life, I say this is not good-bye, for we will 
see you again. We will see Miss Anne, and we will see Brother Fred at 
the right hand of God.

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